Mets prospect Travis d'Arnaud some catch

The reporter turns, notices John Buck returning to his locker. He quickly vacates the seat.

"Getting used to it guys," Buck jokes. "Don’t worry about it."

The seat next to d’Arnaud has been a seductive destination for reporters, coaches and teammates. Everyone wants to know what makes this 24-year-old tick. Everyone wants to know what makes this catcher so special that the front office was willing to part with a 20-game winner.

Everyone wants to know if he is major league ready, if he expects to be crouching behind the plate for the Mets come opening day.

"I try not to think about that," d’Arnaud said. "I just try to think about things I can control."

Mets officials, while optimistic, have been coy about what they have in d’Arnaud. On Saturday, two members of the staff – manager Terry Collins and bench coach Bob Geren – said they need to see more before they are willing to make an assessment.

"Obviously he’s a talented guy," Geren said. "I’m thrilled that we have him. He’s really taken everything in this spring. I’m looking forward to watching him play."

Here is what they do know:

D’Arnaud hit .311 in 114 games for Class AA New Hampshire last season. After he was promoted, he hit .333 in 67 games for Class AAA Las Vegas. Major League Baseball’s official website has d’Arnaud listed as the No. 6 prospect in the game.

Weighty expectations are nothing new. D’Arnaud has been playing ball since he was swinging at his father’s soft tosses at age 3. He has been behind the plate since his coaches handed the middle infielder a set of one-size-fits-most catching gear around age 13.

"It was awesome," d’Arnaud said. "I was in every play. Especially [for] a kid with a lot of energy: If I was out on the field, I’d start getting really bored because the ball wasn’t getting hit to me all the time."

Ever since birth, he has been chasing his brother – the aptly named Chase – down this baseball pipeline. Chase, a 26-year-old infielder, has played 56 games over two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

They have met a few times on opposite sides of the same minor league ball field. In one game, Chase reached first, then tried stealing second. Travis gunned him down. "But," d’Arnaud quickly adds, "he’s stolen off me a few times, too."

"He’s got me right now, a few times," d’Arnaud said. "All you need is one time to let your older brother know that you’ve got it."

There are things Geren, a man who spent five season as a major league catcher, would love to impart on d’Arnaud. When Geren made his professional debut, "there were a lot of adjustments I had to make."

"But he’s already made a lot of those," Geren said. "It’s just fine-tuning at this point."

D’Arnaud said he will continue to lean on scouting reports. He loves to examine the stat sheets to learn how opposing hitters have been performing in their previous five or 10 games.

"That’s pretty big for me," d’Arnaud said, "so I knew if they were swinging the bat really well."

And he will continue to keep an open ear, soaking up any information that the 32-year-old man who sits next to him – Buck – is willing to offer.

Barring a crazy turn of events, Buck will open the season as the team’s starting catcher. D’Arnaud is not projected to be on the opening day roster, even though he would like to be.